Musselman Is Kings’ Choice for Coach

The Sacramento Kings hired Eric Musselman on Friday as their new coach, choosing the Memphis Grizzlies assistant to replace Rick Adelman.

After a search that stretched nearly four weeks but included only three clear candidates, Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof filled the NBA’s only coaching vacancy with Musselman, one of the league’s most respected assistants.

Musselman, 41, a veteran NBA assistant and a former minor league head coach, led the Golden State Warriors to two surprisingly successful seasons from 2002 to 2004. He succeeds Adelman, who became the winningest coach in franchise history during eight standout seasons before the Maloof family dismissed him May 9.

The Kings scheduled a news conference for today to announce Musselman’s hiring, spokesman Troy Hanson said late Friday. The team still was working on contract details.

“I know we’re going to be the best-prepared team in the league now,” Joe Maloof said in a phone interview Friday night. “We just like him a lot. We’re really comfortable with the guy. Our whole family feels that way.”

Adelman had eight consecutive winning seasons and subsequent playoff trips after taking over the Kings in 1998, earning two Pacific Division titles and going as far as Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference finals.

But Joe and Gavin Maloof decided not to renew Adelman’s contract, primarily citing years of subpar defense.

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The Dallas Mavericks, riding a 50-point performance by Dirk Nowitzki on Thursday night, lead the Western Conference finals, 3-2, and can finish off the Suns by winning Game 6 tonight in Phoenix.

Phoenix has already come from 3-1 down to beat the Lakers in the first round and survived a Game 7 to get by the Clippers in Round 2. This time, the Suns must win two in a row against the deep and talented Mavericks, a team that needs one more victory to earn its first NBA Finals appearance.

The last time the Mavericks played at US Airways Center, they were blown out by 20 points in Game 4.

“We didn’t have a good experience in Phoenix ... the last time we were there,” Coach Avery Johnson said. “Hopefully we can go in there and play more of a 48-minute game.”